Air vent and overflow for radiators



Sept 5, 1944- A. B. ARNOLD 2,357,626

AIR VENT AND OVERFLW FOR RADIATORS Filed DGO'. 6, 1940 Patented Sept. 5,1944 AIR VENT AND OVERFLOW FOR RADIATORS Arthur B. Arnold, Racine,vWis., assignor to Modine Manufacturing Company, Racine, Wis., acorporationof Wisconsin Application December 6, 1940, Serial No. 368,839I 2 Claims.

The invention relates generally to vehicle radiators, and the like, andmore particularly to an air vent and overiiow means for the same.Automotive radiators are normally equipped with an overow tube which isconnected to the top tank ofthe radiator to provide a vent to theatmosphere. This vent prevents the building up of pressure in theradiator as a result of expansion of the liquid therein, as thetemperature increases when the motor is operated, and .permits thereturn of air when the volume ofthe cooling liquid is reduced as thetemperature decreases. This vent also provides an outlet for excessliquid in the radiator, when the latter is lled'too full to allow fornormal liquid expansion which occurs during the warming up of thesystem.

In the past this tube has ordinarily been connected to the radiatoratthe i'lller neck thereof, the position of the ller neck being at anyconvenient pointl on the top of the tank considering the design of theradiator shell, hood of theY vehicle, etc. In cases where the fillerneck is located to one side or the other of the radiator center line,the practice has been to take the overflow tube down the nearest side ofthe ra'- diator, thereby using the least amount of material in theoverflow tube. The general practice is to mount the radiatortransversely across the vehicle, and when the vehicle is rounding acurve, particularly at high speed, the liquid in the radiator tends tobe thrown to the outer end of the tank due to the centrifugal force asthe vehicle rounds the curve. In such a case, the lcentrifugal force issuiiicient to raise the liquid line above the top of the ordinaryoverflow tube in which case considerable liquid may be lost through ktheoverflow tube. This condition is aggravated by the present day trends indesign which utilize lower and wider radiators than those previouslyused.

The present invention, therefore, has among its objects the productionof a radiator construction and overflow tube in which this objectionjust described is eliminated.

Another object of the invention is the production of a means forachieving the desired results, which means is very simple inconstruction and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object of the invention is the production of such a device inwhich the action of the overflow tube isV not affected by the locationof the filler opening.

Many other objects and advantages of the in- Vention herein shown anddescribed will be obof a, radiator embodying the present invention,

ar portion of the upper tank being broken away to show the detailsofvconstruction;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the same. ,Referring to the drawingrI designates generally a radiator core ofthe usual construction havinga bottom tank 2, and an upper tank 3 Yfor vreceiving the coolingliquid.[ The tank 3 is provided With'a filler openingA, illustrated inthe present instance, `as positioned in the center of the tank 3. Thefiller opening 4, however,

'i may be positioned at any suitable point ofthe tank forA conveniencewith respect toV the design of the particular vehicle on whichiti is tobe used.' The tanks 2 and 3 areprovided with the usual outlets'andinlets 5 and 6 respectively, forconnecting the coreinto the coolingksystem of the motor. Communicating with the upper tank 3 adjacent oneend thereof, is the, end 1 of an overflow tube, designated generally bythe numeral 8. The tube 8 extends from one side oi the tank horizontallyacross the top of the tank, as shown at 9, and down the opposite side ofthe core, as shown at Il, the open end l2 of the tube communicating withthe atmosphere.

In contrast to this is the usual radiator construction wherein thefiller opening is positioned at the central portion of the tank, theoveriiow tube terminating in the neck of the ller opening, through whichit extends laterally over to one side of the tank and then downwardlyalong the side thereof., If the ller opening is positioned at the centerof the tank, the overow tube is often brought directly downward alongone face of the core to use the least possible amount of tubing, andsimilarly Where the filler opening is positioned to one side of thecenter of the core the tube is usually brought over to the nearest sideof the core and run downwardly along the same. When the vehicle rounds acurve, particularly at high speed, the liquid line, instead of remaininghorizontal, will be tilted at an angle due to the resultant of the forceof gravity and centrifugal force caused by the motion of the vehicle asit rounds the curve. Thus, assuming the Vehicle is making a right-handturn the liquid line will approximate that indicated for a right turn inFig. 1 of the drawing. Similarly, when making a left-hand turn theliquid line will approximate that indicated for a left turn in thedrawing. It will be apparent that the liquid lines in either case, wouldbe above the end of the overow tube if the end of the latter werepositioned in the ller opening. Liquid would, therefore, flow into thetube and out into the atmosphere resulting in a loss of liquid. Thiswill continue until the liquid in the tank has diminished to a pointwhere the liquid line when rounding a curve is below the overflow tube.A

It will be apparent that in the old construction, the liquid loss willbe substantially the same, whether right-hand or left-hand turns aremade. In a great number of the present day automobiles the ,filleropening is positioned adja cent one end of the tank, the end of theoverflow tube being positioned in the neck of the filler opening.Obviously, when positioned at one end of the tank the potential liquidloss will be increased, as for example, if theller opening is positionedadjacent the left-hand end of the tank the end of the overflow tube willbe positioned farther below the liquid linewhen the vehicle is Y makinga right-hand turn, resulting in a greater loss of liquid than in theconstruction where the filler opening is in the center of the header.

Referring to Fig. l, it will be noted that with the present inventionsuch losses of liquid are eliminated. When the Vehicle makes a righthandturn so that the liquid line will approach that indicated for a rightturn in the drawingjf r the end 1 of the overflow tube will bepositioned above the liquid line, so that there is no possibility of aflow through the tube. When making a left-hand turn so that the liquidline approaches that indicated for a left-hand turn in the draw-v ing,liquid will enter the overflow tube passing into the tube only to apoint corresponding to the liquid line, and obviously, as the horizontalportion 9 of the tube adjacent the left side of the core extends abovethe liquid line there will be no, flow to the atmosphere. As thecentrifugal force diminishes when the vehicle comes out of the curve,the angle of the liquid line will gradually approach the horizontal andwill necessarily fall below the end 1 of the overflow tube before anyforces tending to throw the liquid towards the left-hand end of the tubecan be developed. Thus, liquid loss due to the centrifugal forcesexerted on the liquid is eliminated. It will be seen that the positionof the vfiller opening 4 is immaterial with respect to the action of theoverflow tube 8.

It will be apparent from the above description that I have providedmeans for eliminating the disadvantages of the present day constructionwhich means is simple, inexpensive, and very elflcent. Likewise, theinvention may be readily adapted for use on substantially any type ofradiator.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that variousimmaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing fromthe spirit of my invention; hence, I do not wish to be understood aslimiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement, andcombination of parts herein shown and described or uses mentioned.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a device of the kind described the combination of a heat exchangecore, a tank positioned on the top of said core, a combined vent andoverilow tube communicating with said tank adjacent one end of the tankat the top thereof, said tube extending horizontally along the top ofsaid tank to the opposite end thereof and thence downwardly at the sideof said core, the free end of said tube communicating with theatmosphere.

2. In a device of the kind described the combination of a heat exchangecore, a tank posi- Ytioned on the top of said core, a combined vent andoverflow tube communicating with said tank .adjacent one end thereof atthe top thereof with its inlet directed laterally toward the adjacentend of the tank, said tube extending horizontally along the top of saidtank to the opposite end thereof and then downwardly at the side of thecore, the free end of said tube communicating with the atmosphere.

` ARTHUR B. ARNOLD.

